9 MPs at risk of an anti-Brexit Lib Dem revival at the general election

Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron.
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LONDON - One of the key questions heading into the June 8 general election is how many extra seats a resurgent Liberal Democrats party can realistically expect to win.

Leader Tim Farron has framed the party in unambiguous terms as the country's anti-Brexit party and has reaped the rewards in recent local elections and by-elections.

In the Richmond Park by-election in December, for example, Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney won the seat from former Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, with a whopping 21% swing in favour her party's favour.

The Lib Dems currently have 9 MPs in the House of Commons but if Farron's party can attract enough anti-Brexit votes then this number could possibly rise to 15, 20, or perhaps even more.

Here are 9 sitting MPs who have to fight hard to fend off the looming threat of the Liberal Democrats.

Constituency-based EU referendum results are based on data published by academic Chris Hanretty.

Daniel Zeichner (Labour) — Cambridge

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Cambridge is the Liberal Democrats' top target seat. The party finished second here in 2015 to Labour's David Zeichner but by a tiny majority of just 599. The Remain vote in Cambridge was estimated to be 69% — one of the biggest in the country. If Farron's Lib Dems do enjoy a revival at the ballot box in June then Cambridge is the most likely seat to fall in its hands.

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Neil Coyle (Labour) — Bermondsey & Old Southwark

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Labour's Neil Coyle enjoys a larger majority of 8.9% over the Lib Dems in this London seat. However, with 68% of voters estimated to have voted Remain an anti-Brexit backlash could easily give the Lib Dems back the seat it lost as part of its collapse at the 2015 election. One Labour source told us this week that Coyle is "very worried" about the June contest.

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Thangam Debbonaire (Labour) — Bristol West

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Bristol West was another seat the Lib Dems lost under Nick Clegg in 2015. However, a massive 80% of voters here wanted to Remain in the EU, meaning Debbonaire's 17% majority over the Lib Dems might not be enough to keep her seat. It's worth noting, though, that the Greens finished second here in 2015 and will be hoping to go one better on Thursday, June 8.

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Jo Stevens (Labour) — Cardiff Central

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The former shadow secretary for Wales Jo Stevens will be a nervous woman heading into the general election. 62% of voters are estimated to have backed Remain here and the Lib Dems will be hungry to regain another seat it lost in 2015. The fact Stevens resigned from the shadow cabinet in protest against the three-line-whip enforced on Labour MPs to back the triggering Article 50 could elicit enough sympathy from voters to keep her in office, though.

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Kate Hoey (Labour) — Vauxhall

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Kate Hoey's Vauxhall seat could provide one of the stories of the night on June 8. Hoey won 53.8% of the vote in 2015 — around 47% more than the Lib Dems. However, 81% of voters backed Remain and Hoey's staunch pro-Brexit stance has put her at odds with both lots of 2015 voters and her own constituency Labour Party. It'd be an incredible achievement for Farron's party to win the seat it has never held... but don't rule it out.

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Maria Caulfield (Conservative) — Lewes

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Now for the Tories. Caulfield beat the Lib Dems in 2015 to win Lewes for the Conservatives but by a small winning margin of 2.1%. Caulfield campaigned to leave the EU and with 50% of voters here estimated to have backed Remain all it would take is a small swing to the Lib Dems for candidate Kelly-Marie Blundell to get elected to the Commons in June.

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James Berry (Conservative) — Kingston and Surbiton

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Kingston and Surbiton is another seat the Lib Dems lost in 2015. 60% of voters here were estimated to have backed Remain and with a Tory majority as small as 8% Farron will regard the Greater London seat as very winnable.

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Ben Howlett (Conservative) — Bath

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Tory MP Howlett campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU but with 66% of voters estimated have backed Remain his position is definitely at risk of a resurgent Lib Dem vote. Howlett's majority over the Lib Dems is just 8.1% and he'll be fighting tooth and nail to keep hold of it.

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Mary Robinson (Conservative) — Cheadle

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Another Conservative-held seat up for grabs is Cheadle in Manchester where Mary Robinson MP is defending a majority of 12.1% over the Lib Dems. Nick Clegg lost the seat in 2015 but with 58% of voters estimated to have backed Remain in the June referendum, we can expect a significant swing in favour of Farron's revitalised party.